Seattle to Portland The STP bulleted version

• Busride to Seattle, nothing but the pack and bike
  
• Already a Whole Foods, re adjust pack and ride to UW was a lot easier
• A sushi dinner at camp site, probably my all time favorite pre-ride night before dinner
• Camping with about 900 other people
• Wake up to the  one day riders getting announced while they start and a 25 minute wait for the restroom
• Pack up, get written up for a news story, bags on truck water bottles filled and start the ride
• A lot easier to start at the line as opposed to the five mile ride with a huge pack before start at 6 in the morning like previous 2 years.  We stayed at the moore hotel, but rode downtown to downtow which makes a little more sence to me for a ride from Seattle to Portland
• We tried to get up earlier and get started to beat the rush still can’t do it, next year
• Plan for day: Mike leads first half as he likes to start fast, I lead last half and hope I can stay strong.  Get to over 15 mph average ride time for the day.
• Ride in 25 mile increments and take as long as I need every rest and try to avoid stops in between
• I have my time broken up every 5 miles I need to beat 20 minutes every 5 miles
• Miles 10-15 in just over 16 minutes that just became the fastest 5 mile stretch to my name
  
• Got to mile 25 in Kent, WA to an 80’s party hosted by REI, by far the best stop on the STP route, odwalla juices, (REMINDER: don’t get the protein dringk next year just juice) hope they have more of those cashew coconut bars next year, and those tortillas with cream cheese ended up being one of the best foods on the trip
  
• Thanks for the cement slime from the guys at the tent
• Thanks to Nuun for my favorite water bottles and a great memento showing the STP logo
• Ok back on the bike not really needing the calories, but I have been in this rodeo before eat any way you are burning them like crazy and will hit the wall without them
• Two things on my mind the next 25 miles.  The next food stop is really 29 miles and I need the food there so mentally that 4 miles is playing with me and the Hill, that stinkin hill.  I have walked 2 out of 3 times.
• The Hill 25% up and to the lowest gear, sit down and go.  The hill levels out & noobs think there done, but worst yet to come.
• The worst short and hard just leveled up two gears and pulled and pushed through, before I knew it I was done Hallelujah
• Recovered while riding didn’t rest like before, within a mile I realized I was 2 minutes behind pace.
• Raced the last 5 miles and got back on 15mph pace
• Took shoes off got 3 little Jamba Juices (ahh sugar) and some food, sat on the bleachers stretched and rested.
• Met ladies just starting their ride here they were in there 50’s, but I sure wished I had fresh legs at this point.
• Ashamedly this is the farthest in miles I have gone all year, had to take a different approach to training due to time until STP.
• Could fill muscles starting to freeze on the stop so had to got to one of my sayings “There is no time like the present” get up and go
• 2 ibuprofens and on my way, the next breaks were weird mileage 64, 77, 83.  83 being a close second best stop to the REI one it is hosted by Clif bar with all of their products.
• 77 was my goal if I was tired and it is the end of the day I would take the 83 also
• Got in front of people on the hwy and started cruising
• Hit the 18 mile path and something came over me, I had a 7 mile stretch of 23mph average crazy
• Saw the 77 stop and just went by and said I could make the 83 no sweat
• 83 stocked up on the awesome stuff from Clif those shot blocs are awesome, and quick supersized electrolyte drink only an ounce so I had three
• Shoes off again after about ten minutes I was surprisingly ready to go
• Knowing I could go 11-14 and still have my average to the halfway point I got back on the bike
• Kept same average for next 12 miles body doing great once I get into the saddle before I know it I am arriving into Centralia
• Get soaked under the mister and arrive at 3:17 on the college clock
• Needed my bike worked on as clicking started up last 20 miles
• Performance bicycle hooked me up at no charge and got rid of the clicking for next day
• Got my protein enhanced chocolate milk from Darigold I downed two of them and the Orange ice cream bar
• Found out we were going to camp instead of stay in the house we had planned
• Grabbed new recovery drinks that were plant based
• Grabbed luggage set up tent, showered, and powered computers while watching Le tour de france
• Found out Timbers game was on after the airing of the tour, Awesome! first game I missed live this year, but could watch it here
• Long long dinner (2 hour wait for food) at Mcmenamins try to avoid unless you get there before 5 pm
• Got back and watched Timbers on big screens outside near camp perfect ending to the day
• Best nights sleep ever after a century for me, thank you to my new recovery drinks although expensive they work.
• Hear the first zipper at about 4:30 am I sit up at about 6:15
• Eat pack up getting used to camping it’s actually liberating
• The plant based sports product also has a special mix for starting an endurance workout so took this for the first time,
• Bags on truck, I was sore but not as sore as in the past, just put the butt on the bike
• Find out route changed so no coffee guy in front of his house
• Get into a little mode hit Chehalis and what! a group of teenagers dancing to YMCA and the free coffee guys friends have the coffee hot and ready, small things keep you going on this second day
• On the bike same plan Mike is looking stronger than me hit some headwind not fun
• The hill I don’t remember hills in the past, but this hill is actually longer than the day before half way up someone mentions banana bread
• I remember the banana bread guy and powered through the hill, this stuff is really good, he made 100 loaves and gives it to the riders, I remembered to bring singles for his charity this year
• Close to next stop power through get there and eat Vader Tader’s with seasoning salt and this is another pick me up, met a cool team and had laughs
• On the bike for a short and steep hill right away
• Power through and lunch is at 45 mile mark ah the miles work the opposite way today
• Made it to lunch and muscles are soar, it is cold
• Dithced the plan and decided to take every stop here on out and just make it to Portland
• Got on bike and before I knew it was at bridge and waited for only 5-10 minutes
• Tough climb up got my speed going down and never looked back to next stop at around 62
• Bathrooms were long decided to ride until I found something else, 5 miles later no wait another rest
• Getting cheered on by a teenager screaming out of his window at us this stuff pumps me up, people getting where we are at in our bodies and minds and encouraging us through the pain
• Going again and sign for St Helens only 5 miles that’s easy head down and made a great pace to the last food stop and my 3rd favorite stop on the ride by the local high school
• Ate another turkey sandwich and was craving vegetables and some kind of oil or butter to put on my Dave’s bread as it was my 6th piece without in the two days
• Only 10 miles to next stop, got on a train of riders looked like they were part of Cascade Bike somehow as their numbers were very low and we kept a storming pace and it was easy
• Learned new signals and bike etiquette when riding with people
• Said thank you made last stop shouldn’t of stopped as I was doing really good on the pace line, waited an additional 10 minutes for Mike didn’t see him so decided to climb up to St John’s last climb of ride and wait there.
• Couldn’t believe he was that far behind me I started to go pretty fast to the bridge to catch him possibly if I missed him somehow
• Climbed up saw him at top and just saw my time and saw I was almost on track for 15mph
• Only 6 miles to go and gave it all I got to get over 15
• Stormed through Portland
• Emotional at New Seasons as I kept saying i couldn’t wait until I was passing it on the STP while I eat a lot of lunches there
• Turn on to Vancouver have been here many times and give high fives to a row of kids
• Down past the coliseum climb up to red robin and…
• The best part of the ride 6 blocks of people cheering like crazy and you just realize its over
• Come into the finish see my Wife and Daughter with their sign
• Corinnah was pretty excited and gave me a big hug and kiss trying to hide that she was disgusted of the sweat, but I didn’t care I wanted the love
• Got my patch and more Darigold chocolate milk
• Pick up luggage Jessica was nice enough to bring the car over
• Another STP in the books
• Celebration dinner this year was Hot Lips Pizza, they were out of their green bread sticks, but pizza with chipotle sauce more than made up for it and 2 fruit sodas.
• BTW uploaded stats and average for 1st day was 15.9 and 2nd day and even 15.0 could not believe it, I have never had a 40 mile ride that had a higher average than 13 mph

Quick after thoughts

• Will be using the plant based system from now on
• Will keep on same nutrition plan I had week prior to STP
• Definitely will do more rides more often and not focus on just long distance
• Having Mike start helps me as my mind starts slow and reserves energy for the end, hopefully we can work it out so I can pull him a the end of day
• 25 mile breaks perfect for century, think they have to go to 50 when I attempt this thing in one day

Ride On,
Brandon